Halfway to Harmony by Barbara O'Connor

Walter is bored because his big brother went to war and never came home.  He and Tank did everything together and had fun.  Now he has no one to have fun with...

Macmillan's Children's Publishing Group and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published January 12.

Then neighbors move in next door and they have a girl that's about his age.  They play together and have adventures.   One day on the way to the river, they find a dead man.  They intend to call 911 when they hear a moan.  He's alive but has a broken ankle.  

They find out he was flying a hot air balloon, but it's nowhere in sight.  He goes to the hospital for his ankle treatment and Walter and Posey search for his balloon.   They find it but they can't move it.

Banjo returns with a cast and asks them to get his balloon out of the river.  Walter has been dreaming about his brother and he hears him say he can do it.  So he and Posey go and with lots of effort get back up on the bank by the bridge.  They hide it so no one can see it from the bridge.

Then they have to use Tank's truck to retrieve it.  Walter gets grounded right before the race but luckily it ends right before and he can see the race.

He and Posey get a treat, they get to ride in the balloon.  Will they be able to retrieve the keys and win a new truck?

There was plenty of action, Walter learns to accept the death of his brother, and Banjo comes a courting.  It's a good read.